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The Daily Insight Hub

Do we need a business name DBA and a company name explain?

Author

Matthew Harrington

Updated on January 09, 2026

Businesses aren’t required to file a DBA in order to operate under a different name. Businesses aren’t required to file a DBA in order to operate under a different name. Businesses aren’t required to file a DBA in order to operate under a different name.

Can a corporation have a DBA name?

Corporations and LLCs can sometimes file DBAs that include “Inc.” or “LLC,” depending upon the laws of the particular state, county, city, or town. There is no limit to the number of DBA names you can register. You can file as many DBAs as your business needs.

Is company name same as DBA?

What’s the difference between a company name vs DBA? A company name is the actual name of the business, while a trade name or DBA is a way of doing business under a particular name filed in a state or county. A trade name can be registered by any type of business such as LLCs, corporations, and nonprofits.

How do you write a company name with a DBA?

The proper way to write your Legal name for DBA is to write your “doing business as” name exactly the way you register it at the Secretary of State. For example, if John H. Doe is a sole proprietor and he wants to open a barber shop under the name “Precision Barber Shop”, he can register the name with his State.

What is the point of a DBA?

The purpose of registering a DBA name is to notify the public that a particular person or business entity is conducting business under a name other than its legal name. Assumed name (DBA) laws are consumer protection laws.

Can a trade name be registered as a DBA?

A trade name can be registered by any type of business such as LLCs, corporations, and nonprofits. A DBA is an alias and is not an actual business entity. It has to be associated with a legal entity. Those who are on a budget can register a DBA as it’s simple and cost-effective way to start your business.

What does it mean to do business as DBA?

The DBA is also called a Fictitious Business Name or Assumed Business Name. It got its origins as a form of consumer protection, so dishonest business owners can’t try to avoid legal trouble by operating under a different name.

Who is the parent corporation of a DBA?

A plaintiff brought suit, naming as defendant the corporation doing business under the name of the restaurant. The question referred to “the parent corporation” of the DBA. This is incorrect, because a DBA is not a legal entity. A DBA is merely a name under which an existing individual or a legal entity does business.

What’s the best way to do business under an assumed name?

It’s the least expensive way to legally do business under a business name for sole proprietors. An assumed name also allows a single legal entity such as a corporation or LLC to operate multiple businesses without creating a new legal entity for each business.